Monthly Archives: January 2013

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3 Reasons Why Vine Will Help Brands

A couple of days ago the new Vine application was released and every digital nerd, including myself, thought we were the new Spielbergs of directing. The stop/go flip book app allows users to easily edit together video content of their choosing and then share socially within the Vine community or to other social networks (Twitter and Facebook). I refrained from writing an immediate piece upon the app’s release date because I wanted to let the initial wave of “OMG, this is awesome” to blow over and really examine the realistic benefits of this program. Is this application a real game changer? No. Will it be a useful, tactical tool for brands? Yes. Below are 3 reasons why.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Transparency: one of the most important staples a brand must embrace when using social media is transparency. This is something that we all know by now. The question now is “how can we further our transparency?” The Vine app will allow users to take a step further into the brand’s internal way of life. Nothing huge, but it will make users connect with the brand further because…ding ding ding…the brand will be further humanized in the eyes of the user!

2. Conciseness: I am sure there were many meetings, debates, brainstorms, etc. on how long the clip’s length. And Vine did a great job with staying in line with Twitter’s mantra of being the salsa dance network of social media. When user’s only have a limited amount of time to make their multimedia content oscar winning they know it has to be good. And it is perfect for people who are on the go (and the majority of us are these days). So if I want a quick “how-to” clip on how to cook a meal or how to put something together then I know Vine can give me the quick video blueprint of how to do that. Hmm… do you hear that brands? “How-to” videos on Vine…not a bad practice to start implementing if applicable.

3. Content: everything in social media will always wrap back around to “is your content worthy?” So, whether it is a “how to” clip or you showing segments of your day, make sure the content you push out on this application is something users will not just like, but benefit from. I can like something all day on Facebook, but Vine takes things a step further in that it will be a competition for good content.

So, future social media directors, go out and start filming. Just know that you should not overuse this app and the content you push out needs to not only be “cool,” but valuable to other users.

Have you used the Vine application yet? If so, what has been your favorite type of content you’ve seen so far? 

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4 Things To Remember When Promoting Posts On Facebook

by: Jamey Brown

So how does content really get out there for users to see? There are the basic strategies and tactics, but it never hurts to put some ad dollars behind solid content. That being said, promoted posts are a content marketer’s dream. I am currently running multiple promoted posts campaigns for a client and so far (knock on wood) the numbers are coming out great. Below are 4 things to remember every time you run a promoted post campaign.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Include Links: always always always have this content driving traffic to a certain destination. You’re putting money behind, make it worth the expense! Along with including applicable links in the content, make sure to track these links on the back end. I use bit.ly for all of my link statistics. You can also incorporate promo codes within the copy to make clicking the link more attractive to users.

2. Target Correctly: bottom line, if you don’t target well you WILL be the victim of a spam invasion. I have seen it happen and trust me, it isn’t pretty. Be precise in your targeting because the more precise you are, typically, the better your numbers will be. This is not the case every time, but if you are seeking out a specific group of people to engage with (and trying to get them to purchase something) then you need to zero in on them.

3. Set The Appropriate Budget: the bigger your Facebook community is, the bigger your ad spend options are going to be. The higher the spend, the bigger the reach. The more you invest, the more engagement you will receive, thus resulting in a growing community and more traffic being driven to your digital destination.

4. Oh Yeah, The Content Has To Be Good: Warning! If the content is bad, promoted posts will only help so much. Put yourself in your market’s place and say, “would I click this?” When you pass this test, then click “promote.”

Promoting posts is a real game changer for brand pages because it is a guaranteed way to market good content to the exact people who need to see it. In fact, I would not be surprised to see traditional Facebook ads to start slowly fading out. Why? Well, promoted post advertising is all the gravy of a traditional Facebook ad, but with engagement applications attached to it and it is placed in a news feed as opposed to the side panel (aka the no man’s land of mouse cursors). So the next time you are launching an ad campaign, give promoted posts a thought and watch the results roll in.

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Martin Luther King, Jr. on Social Media

by: Jamey Brown 

I was not born in the sixties, but I have studied that era and will be forever intrigued with it. It was such a confusing time period for America, yet at points there seemed to be moments of genuine clarity and love. With today being the MLK holiday, I wanted to write a quick piece on what I think Martin Luther King, Jr.’s voice would be via social media.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are engulfed with so many different social voices these days that it is honestly hard to categorize them all. That being said, here’s a list of the characteristics Martin Luther King, Jr. would have on social media:

- Powerful

- Always to the point

- Kind and Accepting

- Disruptive; not in a negative way, but the voice that shakes things up in the name of good

- Helpful; he would always lend a connecting hand to you. A true networker.

- A heavy Retweeter of his followers opinions, concerns and requests

- Transparent; he would always offer everything he had to the audience

- A Google Hangout advocate; he’d want to connect visually with his audience. He would want to hear and see them

- The leader of all social do-gooders; this would probably be the backbone of his social philosophy

So, today when tweeting, posting, hanging out or pinning, give a social shout out to Mr. King, Jr. He helped create a milestone movement that helped us all see each other as human beings. Cheers.

What are some other characteristics MLK, Jr. would have on social media? 

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Connection vs. Conversation

by: Jamey Brown

I wrote a piece yesterday that discussed how Twitter can help spark genuine engagement with potential customers/brand zealots. After reading it over I really thought about what the differences were between connection and conversation. It’s a great example of comparing apples to oranges, and sometimes I think we get them confused. Below is a jot list of why they are different, but equally important.

 

 

 

 

- Connection is the first step. The first 50%. Conversation is the second step. The second 50%.

- They’re reciprocal. One cannot exist without the other.

- Connection means first contact. Conversation means further contact.

- Connection is the attention getter. Conversation is the sustainability of attention.

- Don’t connect and not converse. Don’t converse without connecting first.

- Connection means resonation. Conversation means discussion of resonation.

The next time you are on any social network and want to connect with other users (either for business or personal) remember the C squared relationship. If you don’t identify both of these, it will be hard to harness social networking…well, at least in the way you’d want it.

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5 Reasons How Twitter Helps With Engagement

by: Jamey Brown

 

 

 

 

 

 

In my opinion, Twitter is the best social network for brand to customer engagement. Why? It’s fast. It’s concise. And it’s the best listening tool around. With that in mind, I will keep this entry concise and to the point. So, below are five quick tips on how Twitter can help spark up engagement between brand and customer.

1. It’s A Listening Tool

Twitter allows a brand to hear exactly what its market is saying. Now how is this different than Facebook, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, etc.? Twitter is 140 characters long, thus meaning followers only have a short breath to say what they mean. So you better believe they are going to say the most important thing on their mind. With only 140 characters to spare, followers are going to use them wisely…and in response so should brands.

2. Speed

Twitter is about speed. If you are not timely on Twitter then it will be noted by followers and trust me, that isn’t good. Think of being speedy on Twitter like being a waiter at a wedding reception – you are moving 100 miles per minute and being nice along the way. Hard? Yes. Effective? Very. Remember though, do not sacrifice content and accuracy of responses just to be fast.

3. User Generated Content

Now all social networks allow this, but my reason for listing this is because Twitter allows one button execution for pushing out user generated content. Yes, the almighty RT! In one click of a button a follower can go from being a regular Joe Schmo to a brand ambassador rockstar. This application is powerful and builds a heck of a dedicated fan base.

4. Connection

Again, all networks have this characteristic - that’s the point of social marketing, right? But Twitter enables a much more personal type of connection. It’s as if we are texting back and forth with the brand or even a celebrity. The connections made on Twitter are deep and I value them greatly – this should be the same mindset for brands on Twitter as well.

5. Conversation

This is what happens after the connection. There’s no point in connecting if you are not going to talk! Twitter allows followers to carry snappy conversations in real time, while also bringing others into the mix. Facebook does this as well, but it is at a much slower pace and the dialogue tends to be clunky.

The next time you are cruising through your Twitterverse think of it as a network that will actually let you connect with someone and talk with them more than just one time. I have multiple Twitter connections that I tweet back and forth with on a regular basis – topics ranging all the way from personal life to work. That my friends is called engagement.

How do you use Twitter? How often do you genuinely engage with your followers?